The African-American boxer Joe Lewis was one of the outstanding athletes who was the heavyweight king from June 22, 1937 until March 1, 1949, when he retired briefly.
The boxer's full name is Joseph Lewis Barrow. He is also known as the Brown Bomber. He was born on May 13, 1914, in the city of Lafayette, Alabama, USA. Died April 12, 1981 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During his championship, the longest in the history of any weight division, he successfully defended his title 25 times more than any other champion in any division (his service in the US Army from 1942 to 1945, no doubt, prevented him from defending his title more times). He was known as an extremely accurate and economical knockout.
Photos of Joe Lewis are presented in the article.
He became the heavyweight boxing champion, defeating James J. Braddock in 1937. By knocking out Max Schmeling in Germany in 1938, Lewis became a national hero. After he left boxing, he had to endure financial problems working as a referee, however, he was a very gambler and a casino frequenter. He died of cardiac arrest in 1981.
Early life
Joseph Lewis Barrow was born on May 13, 1914 in a shack outside Lafayette, Alabama. Grandson of slaves, he was the seventh of eight children. His father, Munn, worked on a cotton plantation, and his mother, Lily, was a laundress.
All childhood passed in difficult financial conditions. He and his brothers and sisters slept three and four in the same bed. He was two years old when the family was left without a father. Shy and calm, he could not get enough education, and then he also began to stutter.
Shortly after Lily Barrow married the widower Patrick Brooks again, the family moved north to Detroit. Lewis went to Bronson's School of Commerce, but was soon forced to make money after Brooks lost his job at the Ford Motor Company.
After Lewis started hanging out with the local gang, Lilly tried to keep her son from trouble by asking him to take up violin lessons. However, Lewis and a friend decided to go for boxing. So that his mother would not know about this, he covered himself with violin lessons at the Brewster Recreation Center.
Amateur success
He went to fights under the name Joe Lewis, saying that so his mother would not know about this hobby. He began his amateur career at the end of 1932. Although this was not an immediate success, he performed several times in 1932 with the Olympian Johnny Miller. In his debut fights, he was able to prove that he could hit hardest. His skills became more sophisticated, and in 1934 he won the Detroit Lightweight Golden Gloves title in the open class and the national amateur athletic union championship. He ended his amateur career with 50 victories in 54 matches, 43 of which by knockout.
Bradock's defeat in heavyweight
On June 22, 1937, boxer Joe Lewis was given the chance to fight James J. Braddock for the heavyweight title. The brown bomber beat Braddock by the middle of the fight, this continued until he finished the eighth round by knockout, having received his first title.
Becoming a Professional Career
Joe Lewis first appeared as a professional in 1934, throwing opponents with powerful punches and destructive combinations. By the end of 1935, the young fighter had already defeated former heavyweight champions Primo Carner and Maxim Baer, earning prize money worth $ 370,000. However, he reportedly did not train specifically for his first fight against former heavyweight champion Max Schmelinn from Germany, and on June 19, 1936, Schmeling defeated Lewis by knockout in round 12. This was his first defeat as a professional boxer.
Revenge with Shmeling
On June 22, 1938, Lewis got a chance at a rematch with Schmeling. This time the stakes were higher: Schmeling was supported by Adolf Hitler, in order to demonstrate the supremacy of the Aryans. Therefore, the battle had a serious nationalist and racial implication. This time, Joe literally destroyed his German opponent by knockout in the first round, becoming a real hero for black Americans.
Heavyweight Victory
Lewis was one of the most famous athletes in the world, partly because of his huge popularity due to his obvious advantage: out of his 25 successful title defenses, almost all ended in knockout. But, winning, he showed his best qualities. Supporting the actions of his country, he joined the US Army in 1942 and donated prize money for military purposes.
After 11 years and eight months of record-breaking championships, Joe Lewis resigned on March 1, 1949.
Marciano's loss
Due to serious financial problems, the great boxer returned to the ring to meet with new heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles in September 1950. The fight, which lasted 15 rounds, ended in a victory for Charles. After that, Lewis conducted a series of victorious battles against less significant opponents, but was not ready to fight with his main rival, Rocky Marciano. After their fight on October 26, 1951, ending with a heavy technical knockout in the eighth round, Joe Lewis forever ended his boxing career, losing only three out of 69 fights, while 54 fights ended with a knockout.
After boxing
Years after his departure from the ring, the champion’s life was not very simple. He was still a respected member of society, but money was a constant problem. In the mid-1950s, he again played as a professional for some time, and then worked as a referee, both in boxing matches and in wrestling. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service finally forgave the debt, allowing the former champion to regain some financial stability while he worked at the Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas.
With age, health problems also appeared. After he was able to cope with cocaine addiction, Joe Lewis in 1970 received some psychiatric help. After heart surgery in 1977, he was confined to a wheelchair.
Joe Lewis family and personal life
He has been married four times. He married twice and divorced Marva Trotter, with whom he had two children: Jacqueline and Joseph Lewis Jr. His marriage to his second wife, Rose Morgan, was annulled in less than three years. With his third wife, Martha Jefferson, he had four more children: Joe Jr., John, Joyce and Janet. In addition, Lewis was in a romantic relationship with celebrities such as singer Lena Horne and actress Lana Turner.
Death and Heritage
Joe Lewis died of cardiac arrest on April 12, 1981. Undoubtedly one of the great athletes, he was included in the Boxing Hall of Fame of the magazine “Ring” in 1954 and in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1982, and in 1993 he was the first boxer to appear on a commemorative postage stamp.
This great boxer has left his mark in the cinema. In several films, Joe Lewis played boxers or himself: “The Spirit of Youth” (Spirit of Youth, 1938), “This is the Army” (This is the Army, 1943), “The History of Joe Lewis” (The Joe Louis Story, 1953).